D&D London sees festive sales uplift as City starts spending again

ByGemma McKenna

Published: 21 January, 2014

D&D London saw its best Christmas revenues ever with London like for like sales up 5% as City workers started spending again.

The restaurant group, which includes 30 of the capital's most famous restaurants such as Le Pont de la Tour and Launceston Place, saw its London revenues, excluding events, up 7%, while its City and Canary Wharf venues soared by 15% on the previous year.

Des Gunewardena, chairman and chief executive of D&D London, said: "For a number of years we have been reporting positive Christmas trading driven by strong sales in our West End and Kensington and Chelsea restaurants.

"During these years the City has been pretty flat. This December has seen a dramatic reversal of that trend. We have had a fabulous Christmas in the City and in Canary Wharf. We have traded well not only in our more recently opened venues such as Old Bengal Warehouse and South Place Hotel, but also in our more established restaurants such as Coq d'Argent, Plateau and Paternoster Chop House. After a number of years of relatively austere Decembers, it's good to see the City bouncing back. "

D&D London also owns and operates restaurants outside London in Leeds, Paris, New York and Tokyo and the 80 bedroom South Place Hotel in London. Last week it announced its plans to redevelop the 10,000 sq ft German Gymnasium at Kings Cross into a dining complex. It will house a 150-cover independent brasserie and a bar with outdoor terraces seating up to 70 on the ground floor. Upstairs on the mezzanine level, a smaller restaurant and a private dining room will overlook a brasserie.